tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771Tue, 31 Mar 2015 17:12:16 +0000Home Design/DecorSewingCulinaryBloggingbabyMiscellaneouskidsGabe's GiftsdessertsChristmasblanketscraftsHalloweenhomemade giftsCreative Freedom WeekSpotlight AwardParty PlanningJewelry/AccessoriesThanksgivingFallgirlsMoney Saving TipsPaper CraftsValentine's DaycontributorsholidaysprintablesCleaningGiveawayPhotographyRecipesbirthdaysEasterGuestOrganizing TipscrochetwinterFamilydigital scrapbookingRecycleadoptionfurnitureThis and That Creative BlogCreative blogging project ideas, creative sewing project ideas, creative jewelry and accessories project ideas, creative culinary / cooking / baking project ideas, creative party planning project ideas, creative home decoration decor design projects ideas, regularly posted, creative contributors, blog for creative inspiration, fun crafts, tips, do it yourself, fun project ideas, guest blog for help with advertising small business businesses or etsy shops, updates, fun low budget projects,http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/noreply@blogger.com (Megs)Blogger216125thisandthatcreativehttps://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-6938413513243912350Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:48:00 +00002013-07-19T13:48:50.592-06:00Relief Society Handout<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am teaching <a href="https://www.lds.org/callings/relief-society?lang=eng">Relief Society</a> in my LDS ward on Sunday and created this chalkboard subway art to go along with the lesson (which is about the Relief Society--go figure). &nbsp;Feel free to print your own copy by right-clicking on the image and saving it as a new file to your computer. &nbsp;:)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ia4t_BbipAU/UemXUrhVzwI/AAAAAAAAIbE/Bd9QamlpwI4/s1600/releifsociety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ia4t_BbipAU/UemXUrhVzwI/AAAAAAAAIbE/Bd9QamlpwI4/s640/releifsociety.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/DQk42NUzInc" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/DQk42NUzInc/relief-society-handout.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)4http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2013/07/relief-society-handout.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-2850804038672573436Sun, 30 Sep 2012 18:27:00 +00002012-09-30T12:27:32.392-06:00Halloween Subway Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-214KumvXB8Q/UGiOzx1KOCI/AAAAAAAAH0s/7vqQHQyVK2E/s1600/halloween+subway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-214KumvXB8Q/UGiOzx1KOCI/AAAAAAAAH0s/7vqQHQyVK2E/s640/halloween+subway.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Feel free to right-click-and-save to print this Halloween subway art for your own frame!</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/H1lxKRprPWA" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/H1lxKRprPWA/halloween-subway-art.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)1http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2012/09/halloween-subway-art.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1259643448029957381Fri, 15 Jun 2012 20:46:00 +00002012-06-16T02:47:11.191-06:00Last Minute {FREE} Father's Day Gift IdeasI'm sure many of you have known exactly what to do for your fathers and husbands this Father's Day.&nbsp; I did not.&nbsp; This is my husband's first Father's Day and I wanted to give him something sweet...something, he would feel our 9 month old daughter contributed to.&nbsp; I bought him a small gift but I also wanted to give him some more sentimental gifts.&nbsp; So, I did what I'm sure many of you did and I turned to pinterest.<br />I pinned a link to <a href="http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2011/06/salt-dough-footprint-keepsakes.html" target="_blank">The Imagination Tree</a> a little while ago and decided now was the time to execute.&nbsp; There is a recipe for salt dough and instructions on how to make in imprint.&nbsp; While my husband was at work, I gathered the ingredients and a bowl and sat on the kitchen floor with my little one.&nbsp; Together we made a supreme mess.&nbsp; It would have been much easier and much faster to do it myself, but it was important for me to include her...and she loved squishing that dough with her pudgey little fingers (she also loved throwing it on the floor...she's into emptying containers).<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3xBCUAP89A/T9xHWnxYoZI/AAAAAAAACBQ/IpANgrcF8tY/s1600/Pictures-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-a3xBCUAP89A/T9xHWnxYoZI/AAAAAAAACBQ/IpANgrcF8tY/s320/Pictures-002.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div align="center">I realize she's blurry...it's the best I could get.&nbsp; She's a busy baby.﻿</div><br />I made the little circle and smushed my daughters little hand into it (punched two holes in it with a straw, labeled it) and baked it.&nbsp; I then painted it pink and threaded some ribbon through the holes.&nbsp; Pretty sure my husband will love it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQ0NtGHPJsM/T9xHi7gGIcI/AAAAAAAACBY/zXQmSXDWwrA/s1600/Pictures-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UQ0NtGHPJsM/T9xHi7gGIcI/AAAAAAAACBY/zXQmSXDWwrA/s320/Pictures-004.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />For my next little gift, I&nbsp;decided to get a picture of my husband and daughter and added a little stamp, obtained from <a href="http://www.ladybirdln.com/2011/06/dad-day-printables.html" target="_blank">Ladybird Lane</a>, to the photo.&nbsp; I rummaged around in a box&nbsp;of&nbsp;my high school stuff, found a cute frame, ditched the picture of my best friends (sorry guys) and replaced it with the adorable picture&nbsp;of my husband and my baby together at the park.&nbsp; I'm in love with it.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5c6uCErDaY/T9xHryRE5NI/AAAAAAAACBg/yNSVGHnLzCI/s1600/Pictures-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j5c6uCErDaY/T9xHryRE5NI/AAAAAAAACBg/yNSVGHnLzCI/s320/Pictures-003.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div align="center">The caption says "my daddy is..."﻿</div><br />So there are two totally&nbsp;sweet and potentially free (depending on the stuff you have&nbsp;already) gifts for an amazing father in your life!<img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/OVTfe2vw4xk" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/OVTfe2vw4xk/last-minute-free-fathers-day-gift-ideas.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)47http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2012/06/last-minute-free-fathers-day-gift-ideas.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-7659296559542439604Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:57:00 +00002012-03-14T11:57:32.454-06:00Classy Dog Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mV8-ShmND8k/T2DbjV649rI/AAAAAAAADyo/Ll2u8n_R8s0/s1600/ClassyDog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mV8-ShmND8k/T2DbjV649rI/AAAAAAAADyo/Ll2u8n_R8s0/s640/ClassyDog.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>Hubs said it, and it made me laugh. I made it into a printable :) If you click on the image--it takes you to a high resolution for you to use as you wish.<img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/FF_3uRuQnz4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/FF_3uRuQnz4/classy-dog-printable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Megs)0http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2012/03/classy-dog-printable.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-324720552863292800Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:19:00 +00002011-12-23T17:20:14.371-07:00ChristmasHome Design/Decorhomemade giftsMiscellaneousPaper CraftsprintableswinterChristmas Subway Art Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sine there was some interest in the <a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-word-art-free-printable.html">Thanksgiving subway art printable</a>, I decided to include one for Christmas! &nbsp;I can't take complete credit for the Christmas one as it was inspired by something I saw on <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, but I created it to suit my tastes just a bit more. &nbsp;Just click the image, save it to your computer, and enjoy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BATEgYVyM4g/TvUZSeXUyjI/AAAAAAAAG6I/85643Kao-68/s1600/christmas+subway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BATEgYVyM4g/TvUZSeXUyjI/AAAAAAAAG6I/85643Kao-68/s640/christmas+subway.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/FpCygxHr1F4" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/FpCygxHr1F4/christmas-subway-art-printables.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)5http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/12/christmas-subway-art-printables.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-4905737145622687923Sat, 19 Nov 2011 21:05:00 +00002013-01-23T17:15:41.135-07:00FallHome Design/Decorhomemade giftsPaper CraftsprintablesThanksgivingThanksgiving Subway Art-FREE printable!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My teacher word art was so popular a few months ago, I thought I'd make a fun Thanksgiving one! &nbsp;Best part: &nbsp;this one isn't personalized so you don't have to "order" it! &nbsp;Feel free to click on the image (to make it larger), right-click on your mouse, and save it to your computer! &nbsp;It should print nicely on an 8.5"x11" piece of paper or cardstock. &nbsp;Just remember: &nbsp;FREE means for personal use only; not for mass-redistribution or monetary gain.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">However, if you choose to download it, <b>leave a comment </b>because&nbsp;if there's loads of interest, I'll do one for Christmas too. &nbsp;:)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAUhujPZL3A/TsgY3FHMVFI/AAAAAAAAG48/C7ganKDXxcU/s1600/thanksgiving+word+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAUhujPZL3A/TsgY3FHMVFI/AAAAAAAAG48/C7ganKDXxcU/s640/thanksgiving+word+art.jpg" width="492" /></a></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/HWGumVskWs8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/HWGumVskWs8/thanksgiving-word-art-free-printable.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)72http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-word-art-free-printable.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-4412248631544068546Tue, 15 Nov 2011 17:53:00 +00002011-11-15T10:54:39.808-07:00babySewingHomemade Baby Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's a little baby gift that I made recently.&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I found a reference on etsy of the onesie and thought it was super cute. I didn't save the image or reference, but I used the same idea. I just cut out a bunch of circles, laid them out on the onesie how I wanted them and sewed a line straight through them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zoj6fhJUEJY/TsKgkW-P5CI/AAAAAAAADgg/czQZ2QjXk1M/s1600/Fair003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zoj6fhJUEJY/TsKgkW-P5CI/AAAAAAAADgg/czQZ2QjXk1M/s400/Fair003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;For the skirt I just made up a pattern on my own. <a href="http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/babysize.html">HERE</a>'s a great reference for the</div><div style="text-align: center;">average sizes for certain baby ages. I used this as a reference when making the skirt.</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uA9HZhAJCBk/TsKgdul7VlI/AAAAAAAADgY/CuHB0CaEhfY/s1600/Fair002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uA9HZhAJCBk/TsKgdul7VlI/AAAAAAAADgY/CuHB0CaEhfY/s400/Fair002.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">For the shoes, I used <a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2010/09/baby-shoes.html">THIS</a> pattern that I blogged about earlier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whYeqMaWC30/TsKguRcBapI/AAAAAAAADgo/m4TiFV4bRRY/s1600/Fair004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-whYeqMaWC30/TsKguRcBapI/AAAAAAAADgo/m4TiFV4bRRY/s400/Fair004.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I also have a fall wreath that I need to post about! Stay tuned!</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/Vy_iYePR_N8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/Vy_iYePR_N8/homemade-baby-gift.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Megs)11http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/11/homemade-baby-gift.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1490479371805055861Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:52:00 +00002011-10-24T18:52:25.197-06:00And the winner is...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6aQIHy1_uM/TqYGHJxWrjI/AAAAAAAAG2s/SdrsehzMRZM/s1600/IMG_4243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z6aQIHy1_uM/TqYGHJxWrjI/AAAAAAAAG2s/SdrsehzMRZM/s400/IMG_4243.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>&nbsp;I decided to go straight-up old school for the drawing because the excitement and anticipation are just so much greater when you get to draw a random slip of paper! &nbsp;Way better than some online random number generator. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Anyway, without further adieu...</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4suX-ikiRo/TqYGIa1_rMI/AAAAAAAAG20/UopE9LADeSE/s1600/IMG_4244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-D4suX-ikiRo/TqYGIa1_rMI/AAAAAAAAG20/UopE9LADeSE/s400/IMG_4244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>...the winner of the My Memories Software Giveaway is...</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbuNbEsO7D0/TqYGJ6fMLqI/AAAAAAAAG24/3FCfVVmdnF0/s1600/IMG_4245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FbuNbEsO7D0/TqYGJ6fMLqI/AAAAAAAAG24/3FCfVVmdnF0/s400/IMG_4245.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Catherine: &nbsp;I'll be sending you the winner code. &nbsp;:)</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For those of you who are super-bumbed you didn't get to win this giveaway, you can still purchase the software and use the $10 off software AND a $10 off coupon for the My Memories store by using &nbsp;<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">STMMMS45229&nbsp;</span></b></span>at checkout.</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/igyhww99jlM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/igyhww99jlM/and-winner-is.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)1http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/10/and-winner-is.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1808338300984485173Mon, 10 Oct 2011 06:01:00 +00002011-10-10T00:01:00.115-06:00craftsdigital scrapbookingGiveawayMiscellaneousPaper CraftsPhotographyMy Memories Software Giveaway!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">Liz, from <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories</a>, contacted us to see if we wanted to do a <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">digital scrapbooking software giveaway</a>. &nbsp;We couldn't resist!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJd3MbttoKQ/TpCPd29WY7I/AAAAAAAAG1s/uoiQVj9iAzw/s1600/STM_Email_Header_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TJd3MbttoKQ/TpCPd29WY7I/AAAAAAAAG1s/uoiQVj9iAzw/s640/STM_Email_Header_640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">The <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software">my memories suite software</a> is easy to use, has great layouts to choose from, and various free elements to get your creative juices flowing. &nbsp;The software isn't limited to <i>just</i> scrapbooking either. &nbsp;You can create cards, videos, and photo books too!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">So here's the deal: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories</a> would love to give one of our readers their own FREE DOWNLOAD for their&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.mymemories.com/digital_scrapbooking_software">my memories suite software</a>. &nbsp;And, a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">s a special deal for <b>all</b> of our readers, they gave us a Share the Memories coupon code&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">STMMMS45229</span></b><strong style="color: #616161;">&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon for the <a href="http://mymemories.com/">MyMemories.com</a> store! &nbsp;There are loads of fun scrapbooking kits and album templates choose from. &nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">I created the following scrapbook layout using one of the easy layout templates and some of the free elements which are included with the software. &nbsp;Oh, and some wonderfully-dated photos from my high school days. &nbsp;:)</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVD04KAi2FQ/TpByCz6H0lI/AAAAAAAAG1c/Sjv-xJ75qAI/s1600/test1-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KVD04KAi2FQ/TpByCz6H0lI/AAAAAAAAG1c/Sjv-xJ75qAI/s1600/test1-001.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">I also made this Christmas Card:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcLFnILbERk/TpCL3ReFrBI/AAAAAAAAG1o/KJIuTikF9KI/s1600/christmas+card-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EcLFnILbERk/TpCL3ReFrBI/AAAAAAAAG1o/KJIuTikF9KI/s320/christmas+card-001.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #616161; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: small;">So how do you win this incredible giveaway? &nbsp;There are a few different ways to enter. &nbsp;Choose one, or multiply your chances by completing all five!</span></span><br /><br /><ol><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">&nbsp;For entry #1, go to the <a href="http://www.mymemories.com/">My Memories site</a> and browse through their adorable paper packs and layouts. &nbsp;Then, leave a comment here on our blog telling us which one(s) you love!</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">For entry #2, follow the <a href="http://blog.mymemories.com/">My Memories Blog</a>, then leave a new comment here letting us know you're their newest follower.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">For entry #3, follow us here at <a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/">This &amp; That Creative</a> and leave a comment letting us know you're our newest follower! &nbsp;Already a follower? &nbsp;No worries, just let us know in a comment.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">For entry #4, "like" <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593">My Memories on Facebook</a> and let us know in another comment!</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">And finally, for entry #5, "like" <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/This-That-Creative/117539734968177">This &amp; That Creative on Facebook</a>. &nbsp;Don't forget to leave another comment.</span></li></ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>This giveaway will end Friday, October 21, 2011, 11:59 PM MST</b>. &nbsp;All comment entries must be posted before then! &nbsp;The winner will be announced the following week, so stay tuned. &nbsp;Good luck!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">And don't forget, even if you don't win the giveaway, you can still use the&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">Share the Memories coupon code&nbsp;</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">STMMMS45229</span></b><strong style="color: #616161;">&nbsp;</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">that provides a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software AND a $10 coupon for the&nbsp;<a href="http://mymemories.com/">MyMemories.com</a>&nbsp;store!</span></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/DGSy0L-D1Ds" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/DGSy0L-D1Ds/my-memories-software-giveaway.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)13http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/10/my-memories-software-giveaway.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-2787527245102947644Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:08:00 +00002011-10-08T13:27:31.753-06:00ChristmascraftsholidaysHome Design/Decorhomemade giftsSewingwinterDIY Christmas Stockings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What's that you say? &nbsp;It's not Christmastime yet? &nbsp;Well, at my house we prepare for the holidays virtually year-round because then, when November and December come, we can relax and enjoy the holiday season rather than become self-loathing hermits who refuse to go out in public because of the craziness. &nbsp;My shopping is finished (just waiting to be wrapped), I'll be making candies soon, but the stockings I was able to do over the summer! &nbsp;I digress. &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I wanted uber-cute-personalized-trendy-not-too-christmasy Christmas stockings. Pipe dream? &nbsp;NO. &nbsp;First, I had to find the right "shape." &nbsp;See, we're big stocking-stuffing people and I needed it to be large enough to&nbsp;accommodate&nbsp;my visions of stuffing&nbsp;grandeur! &nbsp;So I did what any great, creative mind would do...I went rummaging through my mom's holiday decor boxes to find my childhood stocking (which is large and sturdy enough to hold an orange in the toe, followed by an apple, banana, bottle of shampoo, and other trinkets-galore). &nbsp;I set the stocking on my cutest-ever chocolate and white damask fabric and cut out my stocking shape. &nbsp;Remember to cut two!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_J-1PU16Fc/TpCXLGc9H9I/AAAAAAAAG1w/MkudNx1Rk6M/s1600/IMG_3824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-z_J-1PU16Fc/TpCXLGc9H9I/AAAAAAAAG1w/MkudNx1Rk6M/s640/IMG_3824.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Next step was to cut the lining for my stockings. &nbsp;Again, remember to cut two! &nbsp;I wanted my family's stockings to be all matchy-matchy, but still personalized. &nbsp;Enter: &nbsp;lining fabric! &nbsp;I love red and brown together, and those just happen to be the colors my living room is already decorated with, so I chose different red fabrics which showcased both my personality and my husband's. &nbsp;He got baseballs, I got hibiscus flowers. &nbsp;One day, when we have babies, they will have different red linings. &nbsp;But don't you worry that I've already cut out four more brown damask shapes in anxious anticipation!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHdi3vqSl3A/TpCXR0BnsjI/AAAAAAAAG10/VINU0tgkOTA/s1600/IMG_3825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MHdi3vqSl3A/TpCXR0BnsjI/AAAAAAAAG10/VINU0tgkOTA/s640/IMG_3825.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Furthermore, I wanted my stockings to be heavy-duty enough to take the wear-and-tear of the ceremonial stuffing-hanging-all-around-holiday-merriment, so between my damask and red lining, I also cut a piece of quilt batting. &nbsp;I stacked my pieces accordingly to get ready for the sewing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LIJmVbZzqCI/TpCXcwXFW_I/AAAAAAAAG18/ffx2Uu6GAuc/s1600/IMG_3844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LIJmVbZzqCI/TpCXcwXFW_I/AAAAAAAAG18/ffx2Uu6GAuc/s640/IMG_3844.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Because I was planning on binding the stockings with personalized bias tape, there was no reason to sew the pieces right-sides-together. &nbsp;Easy, eh? &nbsp;Therefore, I just serged the exterior fabric/batting/lining pieces together. &nbsp;It was pretty slick and much quicker than having to turn them afterward.<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fU9nxVAc5So/TpCXh3qFhrI/AAAAAAAAG2A/BM0BdqrGPmA/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fU9nxVAc5So/TpCXh3qFhrI/AAAAAAAAG2A/BM0BdqrGPmA/s640/IMG_3845.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Next came the bias tape adventure. &nbsp;I had never made my own before, but it turned out to be MUCH easier than I expected! &nbsp;I used the same lining fabric and <a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/06/bias-tape-tutorial.html">created this tutorial (posted earlier)</a> if you're interested. &nbsp;If not, any ol' bias tape will do!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">After attaching the front and back of the stockings together using the bias tape, it was time to work on the minky cuff! &nbsp;That's right, minky. &nbsp;See? &nbsp;You know you love these stockings. &nbsp;I used the heaviest interfacing I could find to put inside the minky. &nbsp;Seriously, this stuff was like cardboard. &nbsp;It wreaked havoc on numerous machine needles, but it definitely keeps the shape nicely! &nbsp;I just measured the stocking opening, doubled its length (for the front and back), and then left a 1/2" seam allowance. &nbsp;I cut the interfacing and then wrapped it in the minky.</div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9lZ4hC2NZc/TpCXubz9tuI/AAAAAAAAG2M/i-HNe4S8JtQ/s1600/IMG_3848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v9lZ4hC2NZc/TpCXubz9tuI/AAAAAAAAG2M/i-HNe4S8JtQ/s640/IMG_3848.JPG" width="640" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;I serged the two ends together, and then inserted a hangy loop (extremely technical term). &nbsp;Hint: &nbsp;If you insert the loop the way I did, it make the stocking hang at a lovely angle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQqCKXqwBpE/TpCXqYN_h6I/AAAAAAAAG2I/0NuSrNOm3rA/s1600/IMG_3847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WQqCKXqwBpE/TpCXqYN_h6I/AAAAAAAAG2I/0NuSrNOm3rA/s640/IMG_3847.JPG" width="640" /></a>Sew up the loop edge and pin the minkly closed (nice and tight) around the interfacing.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KR0UXQWKiSI/TpCXzMudjQI/AAAAAAAAG2Q/px0BNVIfz10/s1600/IMG_3849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KR0UXQWKiSI/TpCXzMudjQI/AAAAAAAAG2Q/px0BNVIfz10/s640/IMG_3849.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Then, slide the cuff over the stocking opening and match pined edge to the opening. &nbsp;Sew around the edge to attach the cuff to the stocking and...voila!...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1JHtTankiP0/TpCX4l5B03I/AAAAAAAAG2U/Fe4i51KmGNk/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1JHtTankiP0/TpCX4l5B03I/AAAAAAAAG2U/Fe4i51KmGNk/s640/IMG_3850.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;...You have a broken needle...A LOT of broken needles actually! &nbsp;I had to include this photo purely because I've broken plenty of needles in my day and have never seen one bend in such a fashion before snapping. &nbsp;Amazing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNW2Gn3aMQo/TpCX8T4AgrI/AAAAAAAAG2Y/uMSHZGYbFaA/s1600/IMG_3852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BNW2Gn3aMQo/TpCX8T4AgrI/AAAAAAAAG2Y/uMSHZGYbFaA/s640/IMG_3852.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;Anyway, what you REALLY have (besides broken needles) are&nbsp;uber-cute-personalized-trendy-not-too-christmasy Christmas stockings. &nbsp;I added some layers of grosgrain ribbon and little floral button embellishments.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8rNfnJ1BhY/TpCYDS7ImpI/AAAAAAAAG2c/PCdMhaocdrI/s1600/IMG_3853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t8rNfnJ1BhY/TpCYDS7ImpI/AAAAAAAAG2c/PCdMhaocdrI/s640/IMG_3853.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;But wait! &nbsp;There's more! &nbsp;I also found these &nbsp;silver monogram pins which made them even MORE personal! &nbsp;I pretty much love how they turned out. &nbsp;Now go make your own. &nbsp;You know you want to. &nbsp;Get it done before the holiday season so you can enjoy that time of year rather than stress it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHFQ7XhPnt4/TpCYKKZGkSI/AAAAAAAAG2g/Zt86DEqdPuQ/s1600/IMG_3854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sHFQ7XhPnt4/TpCYKKZGkSI/AAAAAAAAG2g/Zt86DEqdPuQ/s640/IMG_3854.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Note the cute, <a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/06/bias-tape-tutorial.html">personalized bias tape</a>?</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/NTsqOxpMJ5E" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/NTsqOxpMJ5E/diy-christmas-stockings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)4http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/10/diy-christmas-stockings.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-7855770509311895557Sat, 16 Jul 2011 16:22:00 +00002011-10-08T12:07:48.836-06:00homemade giftsMiscellaneousprintablesteacher subway art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECuHgkgaAJE/TiMKYSvPAtI/AAAAAAAAGwk/5PVendOZUaY/s1600/classroom+subway+art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECuHgkgaAJE/TiMKYSvPAtI/AAAAAAAAGwk/5PVendOZUaY/s640/classroom+subway+art.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="494" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">I kept seeing these super cute teacher-themed subway art images on&nbsp;<a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>&nbsp;and I knew I just HAD to have one for my classroom! &nbsp;I took pieces I liked from some images I saw and incorporated my own ideas as well. &nbsp;Let's just say I'm stinkin' pleased with the way it looks! &nbsp;Furthermore, I found a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.onlineposterprinting.com/outdoor-banners.html">website which will print it on vinyl</a>&nbsp;and enlarge it (25.5"x33") for $25!!! &nbsp;That's right, vinyl. &nbsp;NOT paper. &nbsp;Even the Kinko's poster printing couldn't beat it. &nbsp;I'm pretty stoked to see how it REALLY looks. &nbsp;If you're a teacher/know someone who is/just want a great teacher gift and would like a personalized copy, just leave a comment with the name you'd like inserted and your e-mail address and I'll send it out as a .jpg. &nbsp;You can have it enlarged yourself, or just print it on an 8.5"x11" sheet of paper and frame it! <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>**UPDATE**</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>As of Saturday, October 8, 2011, the free subway art offer is no longer valid. &nbsp;Thanks for your interest!</b></div></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/F_En3yP-mVs" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/F_En3yP-mVs/teacher-subway-art.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)27http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/07/teacher-subway-art.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-344165579993859848Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +00002011-06-15T09:00:11.955-06:00Fondant CakesA lot of people avoid making fondant cakes because they think it's too difficult. It's really not that bad though. It's a little time consuming, but once you get the hang of it, using fondant is pretty easy.<br /><br /><br />I started by baking the cake in 6 inch and 9 inch cake pans. Sometimes I make the cake from scratch...not this time. Boxed mixes work great and they are huge time savers. One tip: let the eggs sit out a bit before you add them to the mix.<br /><br /><br />After the cakes have all baked and cooled, wrap them in seran wrap and put them in the freezer. I usually bake the cakes a few days before. It's easier for me to spread out the process. Once the cake is frozen, you'll need to level it. You can use a cake leveler (you can get them at any craft store...walmart even sells them) or you can just eyeball it.<br /><br /><br />I wrapped and froze the leveled cakes because I didn't have time to do more. You don't really need to freeze them again after leveling though.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP7BfVLVoTg/TfIoxbsiI9I/AAAAAAAABQ0/Y9VjW_XMM2U/s1600/P6090801.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616596514997674962" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP7BfVLVoTg/TfIoxbsiI9I/AAAAAAAABQ0/Y9VjW_XMM2U/s400/P6090801.JPG" /></a> Ready to assemble the cake? For the top layer, cut out a circle of cardboard slightly smaller than the diameter of the cake. They sell precut circles if you'd rather just buy one. Wrap your circle in foil.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgxPAiIf9Co/TfIor5TzQ9I/AAAAAAAABQs/QNwZLrLXecg/s1600/P6090802.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616596419867788242" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AgxPAiIf9Co/TfIor5TzQ9I/AAAAAAAABQs/QNwZLrLXecg/s400/P6090802.JPG" /></a> Get your leveled cake (look how even the top is...perfect...and if you let your husband have the dome you cut off it might make his day)...<br /><br /><div><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GagUtpUlmm4/TfIodTKsQlI/AAAAAAAABQc/jGa701hTbk0/s1600/P6090803.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616596169110864466" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GagUtpUlmm4/TfIodTKsQlI/AAAAAAAABQc/jGa701hTbk0/s400/P6090803.JPG" /></a> ...put a dollop of frosting on the foil covered, cardboard circle...and the put the cake on top of that. I have the circle sitting on parchment paper. This is just to make moving the top layer around easier.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj2IZCTAhbs/TfIoXipiSWI/AAAAAAAABQU/-0aC3ftfs-0/s1600/P6090804.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616596070187551074" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Nj2IZCTAhbs/TfIoXipiSWI/AAAAAAAABQU/-0aC3ftfs-0/s400/P6090804.JPG" /></a> Frost your first layer.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUMxqTexi3I/TfIoQ1HsgeI/AAAAAAAABQM/7IFhFMcq0JI/s1600/P6090805.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595954886803938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rUMxqTexi3I/TfIoQ1HsgeI/AAAAAAAABQM/7IFhFMcq0JI/s400/P6090805.JPG" /></a> Then place the next level on, leveled side down. So the part that is a little browner and was on the bottom of the pan will be on top. This gives you a smooth surface with nice corners to work with...it's also a lot less crumbly.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8BRdFOAzcs/TfIoKnoiekI/AAAAAAAABQE/eKyIkfNB0RA/s1600/P6090806.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595848187247170" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8BRdFOAzcs/TfIoKnoiekI/AAAAAAAABQE/eKyIkfNB0RA/s400/P6090806.JPG" /></a> Apply a crumb layer of frosting or dirty ice...same thing. Basically just frost the whole cake with a thin layer of frosting. Try to make it even. While you let that level set up (I sometimes put it in the fridge for a while) you can assemble your other teir. Once the crumb layer has set up a bit, frost your cake again and try to make it really smooth.<br /></div><br /><div>This is the crumb layer - see how you can see the cake through bits of it? I didn't take a picture of the fully frosted cake.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfY_OF2xefI/TfIoEtRKbqI/AAAAAAAABP8/mxLzq6n_31s/s1600/P6090807.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595746620599970" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RfY_OF2xefI/TfIoEtRKbqI/AAAAAAAABP8/mxLzq6n_31s/s400/P6090807.JPG" /></a> Now it's fondant time. Wilton sells fondant. You can get it at any craft store (or again, walmart). You can totally use store-bought fondant. It's convenient and super smooth and really white. And it tastes gross. I've used it and it's great, but I prefer using homemade fondant. It's much cheaper and tastes much better. There are recipes and tutorials all over the internet. I might post a making fondant tutorial sometime...but seriously they're everywhere.<br /></div><br /><div>After you make your fondant, you can color it. For this cake, I wanted soft pink, hot pink, and purple. I use wilton gel to color fondant. It's a lot brighter and bolder than just food coloring. But you can use food coloring if you like. It works too. For the soft pink, I used hardly any pink gel. I used more for the hot pink. And then I mixed pink and blue gel to get the purple I wanted. It kind of looks greyish in the pictures, it's not...promise. To mix your colors, twist and knead the fondant until the color is even. Before:<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MocNITWw4QA/TfIn-VLnEOI/AAAAAAAABP0/nbNzE4pde8s/s1600/P6090808.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595637075644642" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MocNITWw4QA/TfIn-VLnEOI/AAAAAAAABP0/nbNzE4pde8s/s400/P6090808.JPG" /></a> After:<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcpnc2y4Fuw/TfIn4lX3RVI/AAAAAAAABPs/RQQr7aOwpKA/s1600/P6090809.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595538342790482" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hcpnc2y4Fuw/TfIn4lX3RVI/AAAAAAAABPs/RQQr7aOwpKA/s400/P6090809.JPG" /></a> I sometimes wear gloves (latex and powder free, food handling gloves) to dye the fondant - just because I don't want pink and blue hands all day.<br /></div><br /><div>Roll out your fondant and then lay it over the cake. Try to keep it smooth.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwdpxbJyYyQ/TfIny3Mp8WI/AAAAAAAABPk/jZtokwIL-KA/s1600/P6090810.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595440048402786" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SwdpxbJyYyQ/TfIny3Mp8WI/AAAAAAAABPk/jZtokwIL-KA/s400/P6090810.JPG" /></a> Cut off the excess. I use a pizza cutter.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HuXk5e8asI/TfInsgKMn2I/AAAAAAAABPc/Ls7l7ah86qo/s1600/P6090811.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595330784862050" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HuXk5e8asI/TfInsgKMn2I/AAAAAAAABPc/Ls7l7ah86qo/s400/P6090811.JPG" /></a> Smooth out your fondant and repeat with the other tier. When you have both tiers covered, it's time to stack them. Get some dowels or lollipop sticks (again, sold at craft stores or walmart) and cut them to the height of your cake. Then push them into the bottom tier to support the top tier.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cdcUqdNuEdo/TfInmv5EphI/AAAAAAAABPU/ijkGL3GT7qU/s1600/P6090812.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595231928788498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cdcUqdNuEdo/TfInmv5EphI/AAAAAAAABPU/ijkGL3GT7qU/s400/P6090812.JPG" /></a> Use a few.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q84F9e6ltS0/TfInfSgsHzI/AAAAAAAABPM/uv12EzDcaCY/s1600/P6090814.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616595103782805298" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-q84F9e6ltS0/TfInfSgsHzI/AAAAAAAABPM/uv12EzDcaCY/s400/P6090814.JPG" /></a> Then add a little blob of frosting in the center, and put the top layer on. Now you can add your borders or decorations.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k7KDv47HPLk/TfInXdrNeMI/AAAAAAAABPE/l8ro-tbPBeA/s1600/My%2BProject%2B1-004.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616594969340770498" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k7KDv47HPLk/TfInXdrNeMI/AAAAAAAABPE/l8ro-tbPBeA/s400/My%2BProject%2B1-004.jpg" /></a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/u08CC6_Il7s" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/u08CC6_Il7s/fondant-cakes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/06/fondant-cakes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-6397792011378856172Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:48:00 +00002011-06-10T08:06:36.424-06:00Fondant RosesI'm making a birthday cake for my neice. I've used fondant for a few cakes but I wanted to try and up the ante a little bit. So I decided to give fondant roses a try.<br /><br /><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><div align="center">I started by rolling out some fondant and cutting out small circles - I just used one of my piping tips to cut out the circles.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616589418671633986" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F79nCsOZj9s/TfIiUX0j9kI/AAAAAAAABO0/Oan9-XHggPE/s400/P6090815.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center">Grab a circle and start smashing it a little with your finger tips. Especially around the edges. This will make them thin and they'll curl under a little.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616589298179937730" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8546fINl90g/TfIiNW9GlcI/AAAAAAAABOs/hff-l84UI6o/s400/P6090817.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center">Roll the first circle around itself.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616589173849022930" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tElVuicyxg/TfIiGHyTYdI/AAAAAAAABOk/O9HM2ZS6x_w/s400/P6090818.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center">Start adding more circles on one at a time (after you've smashed up the edges a bit). You can use a dab of water to help them stay if they aren't sticking well.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616588817619344146" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5nNct-f4XLA/TfIhxYuh2xI/AAAAAAAABOU/jkVhavtjGK0/s400/P6090819.JPG" /></div><br /><div align="center">I used 9 petals for most of the flowers. But pretty much just keep adding until you think it looks good. I didn't take a picture of just one rose finished. But here is the cluster of roses I put on top of my neices birthday cake. I'll post a picture of the completed cake and some instructions for that soon.</div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616588580967570802" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v0bqclC_V3o/TfIhjnIWXXI/AAAAAAAABOM/zz1LfSy_2JM/s400/P6090822.JPG" /><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/Qbnq_2M4PM0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/Qbnq_2M4PM0/fondant-roses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)3http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/06/fondant-roses.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-2592449161349159159Sun, 05 Jun 2011 01:17:00 +00002011-06-16T13:25:53.919-06:00SewingBias Tape Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A friend of mine expressed some frustration she was having while making some flower girl dresses and how the bias tape at the fabric store just wasn't the right color she was looking for. &nbsp;She then decided to make her own! &nbsp;HA! &nbsp;I had never thought of that before, so I went to work attempting to figure it out. &nbsp;Here's a tutorial if you're ever in need of "matching bias tape" and the fabric store doesn't have what you want.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Step 1: &nbsp;You need to "square" your fabric so it can be cut on the bias. &nbsp;To do that, just take one of your corners and fold the fabric down along the opposite edge to create a triangle (just like folding a rectangular piece of paper into a square). &nbsp;Don't just cut strips off the rectangle, or it won't "stretch" like bias tape.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Step 2: &nbsp;Using a rotary cutter and ruler, measure the strips for cutting. &nbsp;I wanted the bias tape to be about 1/2" wide, so I cut my strips 2" wide to allow for the folds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">**Note** &nbsp;The bottom, longest strip has a folded edge along the bottom, so just open the fold and cut it apart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-583ja3a7Llk/TerWUFshB0I/AAAAAAAAGsI/wt3WqcQYerA/s1600/IMG_3834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-583ja3a7Llk/TerWUFshB0I/AAAAAAAAGsI/wt3WqcQYerA/s400/IMG_3834.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 3: &nbsp;Match up the slanted edges of your strips with the right sides together. &nbsp;You'll want it to create a right angle so that once the angle is sewn, the fabric creates a longer strip. &nbsp;Also, notice how my edges hang over a bit on each side? &nbsp;That's to allow for the seam.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bv0EggP45Hc/TerWV5sqB0I/AAAAAAAAGsM/kcPONkvU53Y/s1600/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bv0EggP45Hc/TerWV5sqB0I/AAAAAAAAGsM/kcPONkvU53Y/s400/IMG_3835.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 4: &nbsp;Press open all slanted seams. &nbsp;You'll also have to do some trimming of threads and seam allowances so the strip of fabric is even.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRfcajpg8zI/TerWX3Q2poI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/Z5c5L2gJXD8/s1600/IMG_3837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GRfcajpg8zI/TerWX3Q2poI/AAAAAAAAGsQ/Z5c5L2gJXD8/s400/IMG_3837.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 5: &nbsp;Press the fabric in half.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4rU10Bvoio/TerWaffRjmI/AAAAAAAAGsU/jslDPp4ZKF4/s1600/IMG_3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q4rU10Bvoio/TerWaffRjmI/AAAAAAAAGsU/jslDPp4ZKF4/s400/IMG_3838.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 6: &nbsp;Open the pressed fabric and fold the edges ALMOST to the center, but not all the way. &nbsp;This is a bit time consuming, but not difficult. &nbsp;There are actually super-cool tools you can purchase to do this part for you.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ERww26T0_nY/TerWc6qlDeI/AAAAAAAAGsY/BvxM0K8Fl1w/s1600/IMG_3839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ERww26T0_nY/TerWc6qlDeI/AAAAAAAAGsY/BvxM0K8Fl1w/s400/IMG_3839.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 7: &nbsp;Re-press the tape along its center so the edges are now inside.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zmtBNIxYsjA/TerWe9GfX4I/AAAAAAAAGsc/GomGjp48Jko/s1600/IMG_3840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zmtBNIxYsjA/TerWe9GfX4I/AAAAAAAAGsc/GomGjp48Jko/s400/IMG_3840.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>&nbsp;Step 8: &nbsp;Add to your project just as you would any other bias tape!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0K4zyON3rEQ/TerWgU9WRgI/AAAAAAAAGsg/sEj0tweHURk/s1600/IMG_3841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0K4zyON3rEQ/TerWgU9WRgI/AAAAAAAAGsg/sEj0tweHURk/s400/IMG_3841.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/LYps_hrgQZE" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/LYps_hrgQZE/bias-tape-tutorial.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)4http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/06/bias-tape-tutorial.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1501065041854757980Wed, 11 May 2011 12:00:00 +00002011-05-11T06:00:00.996-06:00Carseat Cover/Nursing CoverI love objects that have more than one purpose, so I am very excited about this <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-error">carseat</span> cover that also doubles as a nursing cover.<br /><br />I love the poncho design of the nursing cover to allow side coverage while breastfeeding (especially when babies start to kick the cover with their little feet). <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvlzP5kosvg/Tb8Td_zI6SI/AAAAAAAADgc/HBzJKf8L0hI/s1600/IMG_0011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602217867535247650" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nvlzP5kosvg/Tb8Td_zI6SI/AAAAAAAADgc/HBzJKf8L0hI/s400/IMG_0011.JPG" /></a> I started out with 1 1/2 <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-error">yds</span> of fabric. I used home decor. fabric because it's heavier and lays better.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qRdtpAUObE0/Tb8TdgoiXxI/AAAAAAAADgU/yxoyKJbo25M/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602217859169279762" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qRdtpAUObE0/Tb8TdgoiXxI/AAAAAAAADgU/yxoyKJbo25M/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a> Next, I cut a slit in the center. I made it big enough for my head to go through and allow for comfort but small enough that it would rest on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-error">carseat</span> right. The size of this slit will differ based on your preferences.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLL6wdP94ak/Tb8TcwD2KZI/AAAAAAAADgM/HoeqhB8pxH0/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602217846130485650" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TLL6wdP94ak/Tb8TcwD2KZI/AAAAAAAADgM/HoeqhB8pxH0/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a> After cutting the slit, I trimmed the edge of the fabric so it wouldn't drag on the floor when put on the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">carseat</span>. Again, this will differ based on your preferences. I ended up trimming about 4" all around.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XiJ2maw9KxQ/Tb8TciJAPkI/AAAAAAAADgE/k_pO0jVIEp0/s1600/IMG_0009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602217842394021442" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XiJ2maw9KxQ/Tb8TciJAPkI/AAAAAAAADgE/k_pO0jVIEp0/s400/IMG_0009.JPG" /></a> Lastly, I used yellow bias taping to trim the edges. On the corners of the slit, I did do some reinforcing stitches before applying the bias taping. I just didn't want it to tear further.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602223187838961026" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UTRNjNeNkRQ/Tb8YTreZBYI/AAAAAAAADgk/IVy3ukkqWn0/s400/IMG_0013.JPG" />And there you have it! A very easy, very useful project!<br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Maybe one of these days I'll get around to posting a project that has nothing to do with babies, but for now, stay tuned next Wednesday for a new and improved cloth diaper tutorial!</div></div></div></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/N5ucet1vGJw" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/N5ucet1vGJw/carseat-covernursing-cover.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (justinandash)4http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/05/carseat-covernursing-cover.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-8558068011464669858Wed, 04 May 2011 12:30:00 +00002011-05-07T12:46:33.565-06:00adoptionA Gift of LoveOkay, so it is quite literally 4 something in the morning as I start this post. I had started a post like this earlier but never got around to finishing it. I just woke up while it was still dark and couldn't sleep, but mostly couldn't stop thinking about some of my friends, Gina and Darrell, and Stephanee and Kelly. <br /><br />Yesterday, my husband told me about a co-worker and his wife that were married just last year that should be adopting a little baby next month. Things just kind of fell into place for them. His wife had an operation when she was younger and they both knew going into the marriage that she would not be able to have children. Of course, I am excited for them! But I still couldn't help think of my good friends at the same time, <a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24756281/ourMessage.jsf">Gina and Darrell</a> have been married for 5 + years, and <a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24603328/ourMessage.jsf">Stephanee and Kelly</a> have been married 3 + years. These couples have still been waiting to welcome a baby into their home. If I can do anything to help, I feel like spreading the word is the least that I can do. You may have noticed that I have buttons on the sidebar that link to their profiles.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You can click on these buttons to read their profiles--as well as copy the code within the</div><div style="text-align: center;">box to grab the button and help spread the word.</div><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24756281/ourMessage.jsf" title="A birth mother puts the needs of her child above the wants of her heart --Skye Hardwick"><img src="http://megan.secure-2.com/images/adopt.png" /></a></div><div></div></center> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><textarea cols="17" name="comment" rows="4">&lt;a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24756281/ourMessage.jsf" title="A birth mother puts the needs of her child above the wants of her heart --Skye Hardwick"&gt;&lt;img src="http://megan.secure-2.com/images/adopt.png" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</textarea></div><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24603328/ourMessage.jsf"> <img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk159/mschaugaard/KSbutton.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><center><textarea cols="17" name="comment" rows="4">&lt;a href="https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/24603328/ourMessage.jsf"&gt; &lt;img src="http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk159/mschaugaard/KSbutton.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;</textarea></center></center></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I wanted to share a true story with you that was told to me last year, by the mother in the story. I just recently asked her to send it to me in her own words but I guess I am just kind of antsy to get this post up! So I am going from my own memory of how I heard it.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">This mother grew up in a family that was blessed with children. She was one of</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">the older girls and loved having a house full of siblings. While she was still young,&nbsp;</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">probably in her late teens or early twenties, her mother died. She had to take a motherly-like</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">role in the family and always knew that in her own family, she wanted to have</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">plenty of kids. Well, her husband and she were able to bring 2 children into the world, but</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">then, because of some complications, they were not going to be able to have anymore.</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">Somewhat devastated by the news, they tried to cope with not being able to have the</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">large family that she had always dreamed of.&nbsp;</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">Well, when her son was still young,</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">just able to talk, one day he told her, "Mom, my little brother was born today."</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">She kind of laughed at his cute little toddler expression, feeling somewhat</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">disheartened thinking that this was, in all common sense, not true (they hadn't</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">known for long and had not looked into adoption quite yet), but she still thought</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">she would play along with his cue. "Oh really? Who told you that?"</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">His reply was so simple, "Jesus."</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">She was instantly surprised to hear his answer. It was one of those things</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">any mother should probably write down because it was one of those</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">"out of the mouths of babes" moments---whether true or not.</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">Anyway, during this same week, this little boy's daddy was scheduled</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">for surgery at one of the hospitals nearby their home. The location of the</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">surgery was, however, changed last minute to a hospital farther away. It was</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">inconvenient for them to have to travel the extra distance, but they knew that they had to<br />adjust their plans&nbsp;to the changes. When they got to the hospital, they had found<br />out that an acquaintance&nbsp;(somehow someone knew the woman) had been in the hospital and</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">had just had a baby. Se gave birth to this baby the very same day that the little toddler</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">told his mother that his brother had been born. And the young mother was lovingly looking </div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">to give this baby boy an opportunity to have a mom and a dad. The little toddler</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">had been right all along--his little brother had been born on that day and they</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">were able to leave the hospital with a successful surgery on the father</div><div style="color: #666666; text-align: center;">and new addition to their family.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://blogs.kxly.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Adoption.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://blogs.kxly.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Adoption.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="http://blogs.kxly.com/?p=11037">HERE</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody> </table></div><div style="text-align: left;">I know that to give a child up for adoption takes courage, love beyond measure, and hope. Hope for your new little innocent child to have a home filled with love. I can't even imagine how hard it might be--I have never had to go through that. But I am grateful that at least 2 mothers have done that. My husband's two younger sisters are adopted. When his dad remarried and found that they would not be able to have children, they looked into adoption. It took a lot of patience and waiting, but they were able to adopt Amber and Kaitlin. They look like they fit right into the family. People are always surprised when they find out that they were both adopted. I can't even imagine visiting my in-laws and them not being there or holidays without them. They are a blessing for sure! And they really were given the opportunity to be given something that their birth mothers could not give them alone.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ladadeeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/adoption-blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ladadeeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/adoption-blog.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image from <a href="http://ladadeeda.com/category/adoption/">HERE</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">"A birth mother puts the needs of her child above the wants of her heart."</div><div style="text-align: center;">--Skye Hardwick</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I can personally tell you that both of these couples would care for an adopted baby</div><div style="text-align: center;">as their own. I look forward to the day when I hear that they are able to adopt!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Gina and Darrell</b></span> <br />Gina and Darrell are amazing friends that would go out of their way to help anyone. Just recently our basement flooded and we were at a total loss of what to do, when Darrell came straight over to scope out the situation. They invited us to shower and do laundry at their house when we found out that our water would be turned off until some pipes in front of our house had been repaired. To our dismay--our home owner's insurance would not be covering the cost because it was an outsource of water coming into our home. Darrell came over first thing after work the next day and helped my husband find the leaks and fix them. They expected no pay at all--they were just willing to help. And Gina is so good with kids. When we attended the same church building as they did, Gina always seemed to have a little kid on her lap. And our little guy loves to go over to their house! They have seen so many of their friends have children of their own and have been patiently waiting for their turn to be parents. I seriously hope and pray that they are able to bless a little one's life by being able to adopt. They have been waiting so long.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Kelly and Stephanee</b></span><br />Kelly and Stephanee are such a fun couple. I met Stephanee when I was working at a Kitchen and Bath Design Firm. She was such a fun co-worker. Each day when I went into work, I knew that Stephanee would be there to make it enjoyable. She has a great sense of humor and can brighten anyone's day! She is actually the person that introduced me to blogging. Yes, all my blogging escapades started because of her! She totally helped me get a family blog going and from there, I was hooked. She met Kelly while we were both working together and it was fun to see their relationship "blossom". I can remember multiple times when he would just leave flowers on her desk at work just because. Since we have not worked together, we have still stayed in touch through blogging and texts. They too have found out that they cannot have children and are waiting to bring a little one into their home.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Please take the time to look at their profiles and help spread the word.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know each of these couples would be a blessing to any child.</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/bciuy1uNg9Y" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/bciuy1uNg9Y/love.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Megs)1http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/05/love.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-3509573415619004698Wed, 04 May 2011 12:00:00 +00002011-05-04T06:00:16.966-06:00Baby Swaddler TutorialBabies love to be swaddled--that's a fact, but I have a hard time making the blanket stay around them. When I had my first baby, someone gave me a swaddler complete with Velcro. It was incredible, but we only had one. I decided to make more for my next baby.<br /><br /><br />Here is the finished product!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ef4kb8Cy7E/TYd31pChtKI/AAAAAAAADcc/NT0RygzOJQs/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586565626209612962" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7ef4kb8Cy7E/TYd31pChtKI/AAAAAAAADcc/NT0RygzOJQs/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" /></a> First, you cut your fabric. I decided to go with a light cotton and make it only 1 layer because Summer is fast approaching.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-elXSsV8F0no/TYd3ZHwIoLI/AAAAAAAADcU/WDIB7qR2yJo/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586565136237764786" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-elXSsV8F0no/TYd3ZHwIoLI/AAAAAAAADcU/WDIB7qR2yJo/s400/IMG_0001.JPG" /></a> Then you cut the square pocket where you put the baby.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-PQjzs9W5M/TYd3Y371ivI/AAAAAAAADcM/nybC6Kt7q-I/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586565131991878386" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3-PQjzs9W5M/TYd3Y371ivI/AAAAAAAADcM/nybC6Kt7q-I/s400/IMG_0002.JPG" /></a> I just bought bias tape to attach the pocket to the inside of the blanket.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86JzlbRYxQ0/TYd3YYVnqZI/AAAAAAAADcE/ySVL0vebxH0/s1600/IMG_0003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586565123510086034" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-86JzlbRYxQ0/TYd3YYVnqZI/AAAAAAAADcE/ySVL0vebxH0/s400/IMG_0003.JPG" /></a> I pinned it, and then followed with stitching on the edge of both sides.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZxA7EzBHxo/TYd20xQ0TDI/AAAAAAAADb8/t7_Y_942ljs/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586564511725538354" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eZxA7EzBHxo/TYd20xQ0TDI/AAAAAAAADb8/t7_Y_942ljs/s400/IMG_0004.JPG" /></a> Then, I used bias tape to edge the entire blanket.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2YGUqk34wI/TYd20kQQ98I/AAAAAAAADb0/kdr6TVKg76s/s1600/IMG_0005.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586564508233562050" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O2YGUqk34wI/TYd20kQQ98I/AAAAAAAADb0/kdr6TVKg76s/s400/IMG_0005.JPG" /></a> Next, I added the velcro. I borrowed a friend's baby to determine where the vecro would go.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P67sM7Pw8wM/TYd20SUzmrI/AAAAAAAADbs/AprYJ6B23Sc/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586564503420770994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-P67sM7Pw8wM/TYd20SUzmrI/AAAAAAAADbs/AprYJ6B23Sc/s400/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a> I folded it and added the next velcro.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-P4B43cuIc/TYd2zyPjz_I/AAAAAAAADbk/Bnvx2cEi3Kc/s1600/IMG_0007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586564494808829938" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e-P4B43cuIc/TYd2zyPjz_I/AAAAAAAADbk/Bnvx2cEi3Kc/s400/IMG_0007.JPG" /></a> And the finished product. It's incredibly easy and very useful!<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFgfYQfJOYk/TYd2zWnikUI/AAAAAAAADbc/YGCVPP0v8vk/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586564487393218882" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFgfYQfJOYk/TYd2zWnikUI/AAAAAAAADbc/YGCVPP0v8vk/s400/IMG_0008.JPG" /></a> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/BbawXI2iHY8" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/BbawXI2iHY8/baby-swaddler-tutorial.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (justinandash)0http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/05/baby-swaddler-tutorial.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1020872695648838822Mon, 02 May 2011 14:38:00 +00002011-05-02T08:38:12.821-06:00Some Changes...Some of you may have noticed that we are no longer posting each weekday. We decided to make This &amp; That Creative a place where our contributors can post whenever they want--without any deadlines. We did this because some of our schedules have recently gotten busier making it harder to reach our deadlines. We want this to be fun, and not a stressful environment for contributors.<br /><br />We recommend that you subscribe to our RSS feed, follow, or put our link as a blog listed in your sidebar, so you can be informed when we update!<br /><br />Thanks for reading and have a great day!<img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/chH17LusFOI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/chH17LusFOI/some-changes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Megs)0http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/05/some-changes.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1121549774647068827Fri, 29 Apr 2011 06:44:00 +00002011-04-29T00:44:00.638-06:00Creative Spotlight: Nettie's Zipper Flower Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mQNGLXdMLR4/TbV6w-CMQTI/AAAAAAAAGmg/cOOevCBGq8o/s1600/DSC_02202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mQNGLXdMLR4/TbV6w-CMQTI/AAAAAAAAGmg/cOOevCBGq8o/s200/DSC_02202.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Hi! I'm Nettie. My 9-5 job is Manager of Sunglass Hut. I am a mommy to 4 wonderful children. I am married to the love of my life. Let's face it though, my life is CRAZY! Crafting and blogging are my sanity. I love to create things. I like making things that look complicated and intricate, but are actually super easy. Some of my favorite areas of crafting are, Sewing, Making Jewelry, Making hair bows, and re purposing old junk. So come and craft with me!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">ZIPPER FLOWER TUTORIAL</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #110000; line-height: 28px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span><br /><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzLHjOM0RNQ/TZaKiohNQxI/AAAAAAAABWA/9frz4KfGtGQ/s1600/DSC_0449.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590808315023934226" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YzLHjOM0RNQ/TZaKiohNQxI/AAAAAAAABWA/9frz4KfGtGQ/s400/DSC_0449.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 268px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>OK kids... first things first you will need a zipper. All zippers are not created equally. I prefer the zippers with the metal teeth, simply because they add dimension to the finished flower. Now, zippers can be relatively expensive. For this particular flower I used a 22-inch zipper (1 zipper makes 2 flowers generally-the longer the zipper the more petals your finished flower will have). A 22-inch zipper at JoAnn's is about $8... which makes it about $4 per flower... now to me, that is a lot. So.... I go to the thrift store. I buy jackets with long metal zippers, for about $4. That makes each flower about $2... MUCH BETTER! This involves cutting out the zipper, but I just get my seam ripper, and it is done in seconds. It is also important to note that colored zippers are sometimes more expensive, unless you purchase them in the "jacket" form... =)&nbsp;</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*I recently discovered that tent zippers and purses&nbsp;generally have metal teeth... talk about a goldmine! ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45Wk44CrsRE/TZaJUsEdKvI/AAAAAAAABV4/sSvdzK4b6_4/s1600/DSC_0450.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590806975947287282" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-45Wk44CrsRE/TZaJUsEdKvI/AAAAAAAABV4/sSvdzK4b6_4/s400/DSC_0450.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 268px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>So get a needle and thread. (make sure you use strong thread) Weave it in and out like so.. all the way to the end.</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yP-0jGClKmA/TZaJUBtwoXI/AAAAAAAABVw/JNRp6jElqQM/s1600/DSC_0451.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590806964577804658" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yP-0jGClKmA/TZaJUBtwoXI/AAAAAAAABVw/JNRp6jElqQM/s400/DSC_0451.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 268px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Just kidding, cut off about 2 inches or so (this will be used to make your center), and then sew to the end. Then you just cinch the thread up tight. This will cause the zipper to twist, kind of like a whirlpool slide.</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqkwAs4K6mY/TZaJT6ntLZI/AAAAAAAABVo/FyLl-lDEZ-4/s1600/DSC_0452.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590806962673364370" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oqkwAs4K6mY/TZaJT6ntLZI/AAAAAAAABVo/FyLl-lDEZ-4/s400/DSC_0452.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 268px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Once the zipper is cinched up tight, just stitch a few stitches at the end of the zipper to keep it from unraveling. Then start arranging the flower. layer each loop on top of the next until you get something like this. Then start stitching randomly, just to tack down each petal. (make sure you are using matching thread. =) Also, if you have to go over the teeth, make sure your thread falls perfectly BETWEEN them, because they are metal, and sort of sharp, they will cut your thread, and then your flower will fall apart. *trust me on this one. ;)</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUKXv7KR9Mk/TZaJTu8Zw4I/AAAAAAAABVg/0hRbPnc4F0k/s1600/DSC_0453.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590806959538946946" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sUKXv7KR9Mk/TZaJTu8Zw4I/AAAAAAAABVg/0hRbPnc4F0k/s400/DSC_0453.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 247px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Then just twist up that little piece you cut off earlier. stitch it so it looks like this.</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oG1dCf_v6I/TZaJTX_F4wI/AAAAAAAABVY/2yGLnR8chgQ/s1600/DSC_0454.jpg" style="color: #442c22; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5590806953376211714" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8oG1dCf_v6I/TZaJTX_F4wI/AAAAAAAABVY/2yGLnR8chgQ/s400/DSC_0454.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.496094) 1px 1px 5px; display: block; height: 268px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Then just stitch it to the flower and voila! You, my crafty little friend, have just created a zipper flower. =)... Now just attach a clip or a pin or sew it to your favorite hat, or shirt, and you will be looking FINE! Now hurry and go find a zipper!!!</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Nettie's original post can be found here:</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://theresalwaysnyquil.blogspot.com/2011/04/zipper-flower-tutorial.html">http://theresalwaysnyquil.blogspot.com/2011/04/zipper-flower-tutorial.html</a></span></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/jptx9D6LirU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/jptx9D6LirU/creative-spotlight-netties-zipper.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)6http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/creative-spotlight-netties-zipper.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-6456891306307096325Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +00002011-04-26T09:28:22.132-06:00Paper CraftsParty PlanningRecycleSpotlight AwardSpotlight Award: Crissy's Crafts Gift Boxes<div style="text-align: center;">Today I am excited to award the Spotlight Award to Cris&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">from <a href="http://crissyscrafts.blogspot.com/">Crissy's Crafts</a> with her genius Gift boxes!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97Bsie-hLxs/TailHYzSeFI/AAAAAAAABaU/3RbZJUP7qbM/s1600/Bliss1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-97Bsie-hLxs/TailHYzSeFI/AAAAAAAABaU/3RbZJUP7qbM/s400/Bliss1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Chances are that you already have most of the tools to make them!&nbsp;</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOIuaHtfxwI/TailIMvXwuI/AAAAAAAABaY/d0oHQXCDu8Y/s1600/BLISS2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOIuaHtfxwI/TailIMvXwuI/AAAAAAAABaY/d0oHQXCDu8Y/s400/BLISS2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Here's what she has to say:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Hi! I am Cris from <a href="http://crissyscrafts.blogspot.com/">Crissy's Crafts</a>. &nbsp;I love crafts!! EASY CRAFTS!! Crafts that just by looking at it you can figure it out how to make it!! &nbsp;I try to make my crafts easy and affordable! Most of the time my crafts are made from recycled materials!<br />Some random facts about me:<br />1. I am a stay home mom to 3 wonderful children! The 3rd was a BIG surprise!! :) He was born in Brazil!<br />2. Moved to AZ recently<br />3. I am from Brazil.<br />4. Met Condoleezza Rice(have a picture to prove it!:)) &nbsp;while working at the US Embassy in Brazil in 2008.<br />5. LOVE Bruce Springsteen<br />6. Love summer and backyard barbecues.<br />7. This week my blog is turning 2 months old! :)<br /><br />Now let's talk about the "<a href="http://crissyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/04/teacher-appreciation-day.html">Teacher Appreciation Day" Craft</a>!</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qAwPY8Mp9d0/TailIx2yT0I/AAAAAAAABac/0M87iw_hEUQ/s1600/bliss3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qAwPY8Mp9d0/TailIx2yT0I/AAAAAAAABac/0M87iw_hEUQ/s640/bliss3.jpg" width="348" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">This craft is so simple but it looks so good! Its a little gift box made out of a toilet tissue paper roll! You can add candy or a small gift.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G9bi0h7HPn0/Tai2WtSwz_I/AAAAAAAABbE/s3f_JCwd-I0/s1600/bliss9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G9bi0h7HPn0/Tai2WtSwz_I/AAAAAAAABbE/s3f_JCwd-I0/s400/bliss9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">I was at the supermarket a couple of weeks ago when I spotted the Hershey's Bliss Chocolate and my mind just started to work! I did the Hugs and Kisses chocolate before but this is year &nbsp;I wanted to do something different. I came up with this saying: "Thank you for a BLISS school year!" You can <a href="http://www.scribd.com/full/53107241?access_key=key-1mdaypc8tyq1mhjbuv8z">download the label for free</a> or you can use any kind of tag.&nbsp;</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNe1g5DyEqw/Tai2N8ovhMI/AAAAAAAABas/G0nan8t83EA/s1600/bliss6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNe1g5DyEqw/Tai2N8ovhMI/AAAAAAAABas/G0nan8t83EA/s320/bliss6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Hope you enjoy!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Go <a href="http://crissyscrafts.blogspot.com/2011/04/teacher-appreciation-day.html">HERE</a> to Cris's original post.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">And I love that she used this same idea for some thank you gift boxes to give out at her son's birthday. So cute!&nbsp;</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0L_tQEEIw_I/TZDWShlnisI/AAAAAAAABAk/y-vubl0alfI/s1600/joeybirthday+016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0L_tQEEIw_I/TZDWShlnisI/AAAAAAAABAk/y-vubl0alfI/s400/joeybirthday+016.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px;">Thanks Cris for sharing this easy amazing craft!</span></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/mubV87_4L94" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/mubV87_4L94/spotlight-award-crissys-crafts-gift.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (This & That Creative)3http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/spotlight-award-crissys-crafts-gift.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-6194570009446772363Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:02:00 +00002011-04-25T06:02:23.500-06:00Blanket Party!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-super-special-and-important.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Gabe's Gifts" src="http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx33/lindsayintx/AMANDA-GABESGIFTS.jpg" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey guys!&nbsp; It's the end of the month - which means blanket party time!&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Don't forget each Monday you can see a special blanket tutorial at </span><a href="http://www.todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's Top 20</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.werethejoneses.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're the Joneses</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and </span><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This &amp; That Creative</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">!&nbsp; </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For anyone new&nbsp;- I've started a blanket drive this year to raise blankets for Project Linus.&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; To donate blankets in my son Gabe's name.&nbsp; I lost our baby in August due to a miscarriage.&nbsp; I really wanted something positive to be associated with his name.&nbsp; And giving back is the best way to do that. </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Project Linus is such a great organization.&nbsp; They donate handmade blankets to kids (newborn - teens) who need them the most.&nbsp; I'm really happy to be working with them. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am so happy to say that I have recieved over 50 blankets for Project Linus.&nbsp; WOW!&nbsp; Thank you so much!!!&nbsp; I really am just so greatful.&nbsp; :)&nbsp; Thank you thank you thank you.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">&nbsp; So link up any blanket project you've got.&nbsp; Mail me your blankets to get donated.&nbsp; Email if you are interested in guest posting a blanket tutorial (it will be seen at&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's Top 20</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://www.werethejoneses.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We're The Joneses</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This &amp; That Creative</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">).&nbsp; </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can't wait to see your projects!!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span>And don't forget&nbsp;the 31st&nbsp;is the Blogger of the Month Party at </span><a href="http://www.todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today's Top 20</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.&nbsp; Come link up your fave. project you've made in&nbsp;March for a chance to win a great prize from </span><a href="http://www.myvinyldesigner.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Vinyl Designer</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> as well as a month's of advertising at Today's Top 20! </span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.inlinkz.com/wpview.php?id=30615"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img src="http://www.inlinkz.com/wpImg.php?id=30615" style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><script src="http://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=30615"></script></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://clickserve.cc-dt.com/link/tplclick?lid=41000000035065633&amp;pubid=21000000000359016"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a>&nbsp;</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/xTPAggPmvnQ" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/xTPAggPmvnQ/blanket-party.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Amanda)1http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/blanket-party.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-1356320532454526077Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:01:00 +00002011-04-22T08:09:06.852-06:00MiscellaneousOrganizing TipsMy new Internet Obsession<a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>. &nbsp;Move over Facebook and iGoogle (the only other sites I visit on a daily basis)! &nbsp;That's right. &nbsp;I have a new love thanks to my friend, <a href="http://joeandanna.blogspot.com/2011/03/bookmarks-technology-post.html">Anna</a>, who introduced me to this AMAZING website. &nbsp;It allows me to organize all my creative musings in one place until I'm ready to actually implement them.<br /><br />Have you ever read a blog post or looked at a website and thought, "Oh! &nbsp;I totally want to make that...But I don't have time right now...," or "That recipe looks amzingly delish. &nbsp;I wanna try it, for my next cooking adventure," and then when you go to find said post or site again, it's missing?<br /><br />ENTER: <a href="http://pinterest.com/about/">&nbsp;Pinterest</a>.<br /><br />It's the greatest.<br /><br />It's a site that keeps track of all those past posts/sites that you want to have access to later. &nbsp;Anna explained it as a "virtual cork board" and I couldn't agree more. &nbsp;Similar to Facebook or Blogger, you can "follow" people who are either your friends or have similar interests/style tastes you do. &nbsp;Thus, giving you access to even <b>MORE</b> great ideas rather than just the ones you find on your own!<br /><br />Sold yet? <br /><br />To "pin" something, you just have to add the Pinterest Bookmark to your task bar (It says, "Pin It") and click on it whenever you encounter something worth pinning. &nbsp;That's it. &nbsp;Pretty simple. &nbsp;As a heads-up, you do have to request an invite to <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> (which takes a few days), but it's totally worth it. &nbsp;<b>Promise</b>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_09rhh2iz-Q/Ta8CtjFJoRI/AAAAAAAAGmU/RGnFGxD7NCA/s1600/screenshot1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_09rhh2iz-Q/Ta8CtjFJoRI/AAAAAAAAGmU/RGnFGxD7NCA/s640/screenshot1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />To give you an idea, here's a screenshot of my recent pins. &nbsp;<a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> allows you to sort them into categories you name yourself as well. &nbsp;If this is something you're interested in, you can view my profile <a href="http://pinterest.com/lieseymagoo/">HERE</a>&nbsp;(I currently have eleven boards you can check out). &nbsp;If you're already a member, feel free to follow my pins. &nbsp;Leave a comment and I'll follow you back! &nbsp;Happy pinning, people!<br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">***UPDATE*** &nbsp;If you're interested, you can request and invite by going to their website, OR, if you leave your e-mail address in the comments below, I'll send you an invite myself. &nbsp;:)</span></b><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/GEZE1ShkHJI" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/GEZE1ShkHJI/my-new-internet-obsession.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (*Aliese*)9http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/my-new-internet-obsession.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-7381551488335585222Thu, 21 Apr 2011 10:40:00 +00002011-04-21T04:40:00.201-06:00Mod Podge Easter Eggs<div style="text-align: center;">Easter is one of the holidays that I don't have a lot of </div><div style="text-align: center;">decorations for. So I decided to make some!</div><div style="text-align: center;"> I blew out a dozen eggs(which was harder than I had expected) </div><div style="text-align: center;">and mod-podged them with tissue paper. </div><div style="text-align: center;">The Mod Podge part was super easy and they came out pretty cute! </div><div style="text-align: center;">I filled my apothecary jars with some moss and arranged the eggs inside!</div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fo5HeRZn3FA/SdzYiJOtZqI/AAAAAAAAAdw/UtU1NgHDJZ4/s1600-h/IMG_3491.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Fo5HeRZn3FA/SdzYiJOtZqI/AAAAAAAAAdw/UtU1NgHDJZ4/s320/IMG_3491.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322366940749850274" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">and a close up:</div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Fo5HeRZn3FA/SdzYhzuP6NI/AAAAAAAAAdo/L-faP_kkUao/s1600-h/IMG_3487.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Fo5HeRZn3FA/SdzYhzuP6NI/AAAAAAAAAdo/L-faP_kkUao/s320/IMG_3487.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322366934976555218" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">I LOVE the patterned tissue paper,which I found at Hallmark,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I think even Wal Mart has some too!</div><div style="text-align: center;">They would also be cute in a big bowl as a centerpiece.</div><div style="text-align: center;">And save the egg carton so you can store them for next year!</div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/0UQZqODMUMM" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/0UQZqODMUMM/mod-podge-easter-eggs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Simple Sage)2http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/mod-podge-easter-eggs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-2390993046114422958Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:46:00 +00002011-04-20T15:58:12.032-06:00Hemming pantsMy husband is tall and thin and it's always been kind of difficult to find pants that fit him well. A while back, he was going for a walk during his lunch break and our Utah weather took a turn. He was caught it a rainstorm and was drenched. He walked back to work, drove to the closest mall, and quickly bought a new outfit. The thing is, it sometimes takes us months to find a good looking pair of pants that actually fit him. So "quickly" doesn't work out so great. Long story short, I needed to lengthen the hem in his pants. Luckily, my good old mom taught me how long ago. My dad and I have short legs. My sister has long legs. My mom has mad sewing skills. We do a lot of alterations at our house.<br /><br />So, here's how to alter the length of the hem in pants. You can use the same general instructions to shorten a hem.<br /><br />I had my husband try on the pants and measured to see how much more length he'd need. He would need about an inch. Which would leave about a quarter of an inch hem...which is pretty much the minimum length of hem I like to do.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Here's the original hem...see how you can't see it so well. I think it's called a blind hem. If it isn't, it maybe should be.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597775087371018162" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSW_UIYrDCk/Ta9KyJ9H37I/AAAAAAAABMY/6XEC5Ns_ufM/s400/P4040766.JPG" /><br /><br />This is the inside of the hem. Not lined. Surged. Convenient.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774990027220514" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Js5w466N-Cc/Ta9KsfUjZiI/AAAAAAAABMQ/8p4ZputW5b4/s400/P4040767.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Unpick your blind stiched hem. Don't unpick the surging.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774895676536594" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZC17hBbkI5c/Ta9Km_1mNxI/AAAAAAAABMI/ofX-Tin07YQ/s400/P4040768.JPG" /><br /><br />Iron your old hem's crease.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774787332154434" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xM0wiwp57WA/Ta9KgsOSJEI/AAAAAAAABMA/coyL01sYmdw/s400/P4040769.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Measure and pin. I went with a quarter inch seam. I don't really like going much shorter than that. And I needed to make the pants as long as possible. This will add an inch to the pants. Now, I hate pinning and often skip this step. But when it comes to clothing, may as well make them straight and even, right? So measure and pin well.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774630089496418" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xiap5A7t9E0/Ta9KXictl2I/AAAAAAAABL4/GbyKgaY6zDY/s400/P4180778.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">(Sorry about the bad pictures, by the way. I am crap with a camera)<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">This is the part when you sew the new hem. You can do this by machine but my mom taught me by hand and I like to do what I know Plus, it really isn't so hard. Tie a knot in your thread.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center">This is a poorly done paint picture to try to better illustrate the process. Sorry if it is more confusing then helpful. The red lines are your stiches. Start at the star, poke the needle through from behind and pull it out toward yourself. Skootch a little to the left, pick up a tiny bit of the pant leg and then poke the needle through the hem.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 225px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774424117087650" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3gliG8mmUqo/Ta9KLjJEDaI/AAAAAAAABLo/n0Ru2_4H6Kc/s400/pant.png" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Here's a picture of the real deal. The needle is in the middle of the second stitch.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774532636819474" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IyIBKwAg6cM/Ta9KR3aLwBI/AAAAAAAABLw/BcRxh-vhVO0/s400/P4180779.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Same picture, different angle.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774353249817410" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ak76xe8sHwU/Ta9KHbI_U0I/AAAAAAAABLg/Z9EGPNZQvKI/s400/P4180783.JPG" /><br /><br /><br /><div align="center">Stitch your blind hem all the way around the bottom of the pant leg. You can kind of see the little dimples in the pants where my stiches are. This is the new hem.<br /><br /><br /><div align="center"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597774111764026402" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cZZYvA1KJW0/Ta9J5XiSlCI/AAAAAAAABLQ/Em0BXO8MSMU/s400/P4190787.JPG" /> Close up...pretty much can't see the hem, which is kind of the point.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597773949137020738" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ToVq4ctgovM/Ta9Jv5s_Z0I/AAAAAAAABLI/mItHX6NJzm0/s400/P4190789.JPG" /> Press the pants again. Make your husband try them on right away then praise your mad alteration skills. Now you have a new skill and a longer pair of pants!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/te1Khv1rLb0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/te1Khv1rLb0/hemming-pants.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Unknown)2http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/hemming-pants.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2719625652251554771.post-6419172135389534136Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +00002011-04-19T06:00:16.433-06:00EasterHome Design/DecorVintage Easter Postcard<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Check out this adorable vintage Easter postcard I found on <a href="http://wapedia.mobi/en/Ostara">Wapedia</a>&nbsp;when we</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">were looking up the origins of the Easter Bunny as a family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was printed in 1907, so it is public domain. Go ahead and click on it to download it :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6VSzEbIbjk/TazhXJ6KrFI/AAAAAAAADAU/uY2zL5L5fI4/s1600/1907-Easter_Bunny_With_Pussywillow-Postcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F6VSzEbIbjk/TazhXJ6KrFI/AAAAAAAADAU/uY2zL5L5fI4/s400/1907-Easter_Bunny_With_Pussywillow-Postcard.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">He looks so quaint as a little addition to my Easter decor.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-0C2cCFaY8/Taz4pf7IWbI/AAAAAAAADAY/8C1yw-vENNs/s1600/IMG_3861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P-0C2cCFaY8/Taz4pf7IWbI/AAAAAAAADAY/8C1yw-vENNs/s320/IMG_3861.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Excuse the flash--it was night</td></tr></tbody></table><img src="//feeds.feedburner.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~4/rgsGT3hCwpY" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/thisandthatcreative/~3/rgsGT3hCwpY/vintage-easter-postcard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Megs)1http://www.thisandthatcreative.com/2011/04/vintage-easter-postcard.html